THE WRITER is published the first day of every month. It will be sent, postpaid, ONE YEAR for ONE DOLLAR. The price of Canadian and foreign subscriptions is $1.12, including postage.

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The rate for advertising in THE WRITER is two dollars an inch for each insertion, with no discount for either time or space; remittance required with the order. Advertising is accepted only for two pages. For special position, if available, twenty per cent. advance is charged. No advertisement of less than one-half inch will be accepted. ***Contributions not used will be returned, if a stamped and addressed envelope is enclosed.

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Writers who send manuscripts broadcast without regard to their fitness for the periodicals to which they are offered show a discreditable lack of common sense, but there are many who waste time and postage in this way. For instance, THE WRITER from time to time has to decline the offer of sentimental poems, and the editor of the Christian Register says he has recently received lurid detective stories, sentimental love stories, and serial novels as offered material. The manuscript most likely to be quickly sold is one written with the requirements of some periodical especially in mind and so well fitted for that periodical, or else one of general interest offered with discretion to the periodicals for which it is best adapted. A writer should always know the character of a periodical to which he sends a manuscript, and the more exact knowledge he has of its nature and requirements, the better. Those who live near libraries may profitably study the periodicals available, while those who do not have this advantage should buy sample copies of unfamiliar periodicals before offering them manuscripts. It is better to spend a dollar for sample copies than to waste ten dollars on postage.

The value of "The Writer's Directory of Periodicals" to readers of THE WRITER is illustrated by the instalment in this number, giving information furnished directly by the editors of the different publications listed about their manuscript needs. New subscribers may secure back numbers, and so get the Directory complete. To make the Di

rectory easier to read, provision has been made for paper of a lighter tint for the cover of THE WRITER beginning with the May number.

The illustrations of magazine fiction often show that the artists have not read the story. Sometimes when you have read the story you understand the remissness of the artist.

W. H. H.

HOW MANUSCRIPTS ARE JUDGED.

Most stories by new writers are returned immediately without careful reading — it isn't

necessary.

Magazines have thousands of manuscripts sent in by writers and would-be writers every week. Unless the name is well known, the manuscript is first looked over by a lady assistant who usually throws it out for certain broad reasons; for example, Does it mention liquor? Does it make fun of the Bible? Is it indecent? Is it within the scope of the magazine? Is it misspelled, or badly punctuated ? Is it typewritten? Are its first three pages free from mistakes? Is it too long, or too short ?

If the manuscript passes these hurdles it goes to Lady No. 2, who glances through the first three pages, and usually throws it out unless it shows a "good start," bright thoughts, looks as if it might be interesting, is n't like another story published within a year, and has n't a bad title. If the manuscript jumps these hurdles successfully it goes to Lady No. 3, who glances at the plot and sizes up the ending. She throws the manuscript out if while the story is well written the plot is weak, or is improper, or impossible, or in a new field to which she is unaccustomed, and can't place it exactly. If it passes this lady it goes to the assistant editor, who scrutinizes the name of author, finds out all he can about him or her, considers the bearing or general effect of the story, if it has enough "love interest" or "pep" its inward meaning, its style, whether it would "attract" readers, or new readers of the magazine, whether it hits at any of the advertisements or injures an owner in any way.

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If the manuscript passes the assistant, the

editor-in-chief reads it and considers whether the Company has not enough accepted stories in the safe, considers the likelihood of the writer being a real author or a flash in the pan, or whether a similar story on a similar topic by a known author (even if inferior) has been received. The editor-in-chief it is who decides if the story really is a high-class work of genius, or merely a good imitation of de Maupassant or O. Henry. If he does not throw it out for these and twenty other reasons, it is accepted, often paid for at once, and printed a year or so later. The Century once kept a story of a friend of mine eight years! A Former Editor.

THE SCRAP BASKET.

John J. Corcoran, of Colorado Springs, in a more or less caustic indictment of Eugene Parsons in the February WRITER says: "A 'confession' presupposes an accusation, strictly speaking. If Mr. Corcoran had substituted "admission" for "confession," no one would have given the matter a second thought, but it is rather disturbing to have to verify the impressions of thirty or forty years' standing, even when we know what we know. Romans

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xiv, 2, says: Every tongue must confess to God. Can any one imagine a prior accusation in this case? Goldsmith said: "I must confess I was most pleased," but there is not the slightest evidence that Goldsmith made a clean breast of his confession on account of anybody's acccusation. Webster defines "confess as a verb, both transitive and intransitive. In the latter case the meaning is given as “To disclose or reveal," and the supporting quotation is : 'He confessed to a morbid dread of solitude." I fear that too many critics act on guesswork and impulse rather than certain knowledge. GREENFIELD, Ind.

J. Charlton Smith.

personal suggestion, one writer sold three stories on Baby Week topics to three among the leaders of the women's magazines.

The biennial convention of the General Federation of Women's Clubs will occur in May, although that date comes rather early for magazine possibilities. However, there have been few, if any, satisfactory presentations of the women's clubs, or of a convention of club women. The newspaper stories have usually been light and frivolous, without true interpretation or even recognition of the spirit or significance of such gatherings.

Then again, it would be helpful to note the advance schedule of some of the publications giving much space to special topics in their weekly or monthly issues. The Housewives' League Magazine has announced a "special number" for each month during the year ahead. Every Week has a special picture setion planned for nearly fifty weeks, although I understand not all of the material has been secured. E. G. Routzahn.

Sara Teasdale in private life is Mrs. Ernst B. Filsinger, of St. Louis. She was married in 1914. Born in St. Louis August 8, 1884, she was educated in St. Louis private schools, and graduated from Hosmer Hall in 1903. Shortly after this, a group of St. Louis girls of her age undertook the publication of a monthly magazine to be called The Potter's Wheel. This unique publication was limited to one copy each month and was entirely in manuscript, with original illustrations in photograph, black and white, and in color. The magazine existed for three years, and elicited much interest among the friends of its contributors.

Sara Teasdale's first attempts in verse were translations from Heine and other German poets. However, she soon began to write lyrics of her own and an occasional effort in poetic prose.

At about this time she left St. Louis for southern Europe and Egypt and, after a pro

derer" and in her blank verse pictures, some descriptions in the latter being taken directly from Greek and Italian landscapes which she had seen.

In 1907 the Poet Lore Company of Boston published her first book of poems, Sonnets to Duse and Other Poems. " The sonnets were dignified and creditable pieces of workmanship, but the book was chiefly commended for the simple songs which made up its second half. Of these songs Arthur Symons, in the London Saturday Review, spoke with most generous praise.

At about this time Sara Teasdale's lyrics began appearing frequently in Harper's Magazine, and shortly after that in Scribner's, the Century, and other leading periodicals. Her first poem to achieve general recognition was a blank verse monologue, "Guenevere, " which appeared in the St. Louis Mirror in 1907 and was widely copied. A number of other monologues, each one presenting a new aspect of the soul of some woman well known in history or in art, followed. Among these were "Beatrice" and "Helen of Troy."

The latter came out in Scribner's Magazine and later became the title poem for Miss Teasdale's second volume of verse, which G. P. Putnam's Sons published in 1911. This book went into a second edition six months after it appeared and received hearty commendation both at home and in England.

A second journey abroad was recorded in a number of brief lyrics, two of the best known being "Off Capri, which appeared in the Century, and "Night Song at Amalfi," which appeared in Harper's Magazine. These travel pictures were gathered together to form part of "Rivers to the Sea," which the Macmillan Company published in the fall of 1915.

If Sara Teasdale's work is to live, it will be because of the simple singing quality of her brief songs, with their poignant emotion. Many of the lyrics in the new book are frankly modern in spirit and are written, as is the ideal of today, in the simple words of common speech. The scenes of many of them are set in New York, where free use is made of New York streets and bridges, buildings and parks. This unaffected delight in the lights and the sounds of America's metropolis has given the opening sequences of love songs in "Rivers to the Sea" a reality that is very satisfying. In the volume there are a number of poems in free verse, but while these are creditable, they will not give the lasting pleasure of the songs, which have, as William Stanley Braithwaite says in the "Year Book of American Poetry for 1915, "the purest song quality in American poetry." ST LOUIS, Mo. Mary R. Lee.

THE MANUSCRIPT MARKET.

[This information as to the present special needs of various periodicals comes directly from the editors. ]

The Federation of American Zionists announces that the first prize in the Louis D. Brandeis prize essay competition - $100 and a bronze medal - has been awarded to Leo I. Dana of Roxbury, Mass., for an essay on "The Work and Problems of the Jewish National Fund." The second prize of $50 has been awarded to Lewis E. Levinthal of Philadelphia for an essay on "The Land Laws of

Turkey and Their Administration. Mr. Brandeis offers similar prizes again for an essay competition this year among students of colleges and universities.

The National American Woman Suffrage Association offers prizes amounting to five hundred dollars for the ten best art posters for suffrage window display and billboards and a prize of twenty-five dollars for the best suffrage slogan. Mrs. Ernest Thompson Seton, 171 Madison avenue, New York, has charge of the poster competition. The rules of the slogan contest are as follows:

I. Old slogans will not be considered. 2. Slogans must not contain more than five words. 3. Write your slogan on the outside of a small envelope; place your name and address inside that same envelope and seal it; then place the envelope inside another envelope and mail it to the Slogan Committee, N. A. W. S. A. Headquarters, 171 Madison Avenue, New York City. (Do not write your name or address on either envelope. Your identity must not be known to the judges until after the winning slogan has been selected.) Competition open to all, and number of slogans submitted by one person limited.

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The Bureau of Education of the Jewish Community of New York city offers a prize of one hundred dollars for the best play, practical for production by Jewish children of any age between six and sixteen, submitted before October 1, 1916. Plays for this contest may range from the smallest one-act playlet to a five-act drama. They may treat of Biblical, post-Biblical, or modern times and deal with any phase of Jewish life or character, historical, religious, ceremonial, or national. The prize will be awarded for the best play or playlet wholly on intrinsic merit, irrespective of size or type of play. In addition, the prizewinning play, and every other play which does not win the prize, but fulfills the rules of the contest and is of sufficient merit, will be bought and paid for at the regular rates of the Entertainment Department of the Bureau of Education. More than one play may be submitted by any author. Manuscripts or requests for information should be addressed :

"Play Contest, Entertainment Department, Bureau of Education, 356 Second Avenue, New York."

The New York Tribune publishes this letter:

Cosmos Magazine, 400 and 402 Sixth st., Washington, D. C., advertised in Munsey's that they would pay for stories; further, that manuscripts need not be typed.

I sent a sketch and received, written on the officially stamped stationery, a word from the assistant editor. He "regretted that it was not suited to either of their magazines, but, hoping I would not think him too presumptuous, made a suggestion. He had read the work and found 'same had some good ideas and believed he could help me get this through with some other publication at a good figure.' He would go over the work carefully, revise it in some places, 'retype same in good form,' and help me take the matter up with a number of publications - if I would send $1.50 to cover the expense. There were other suggestions, but the $1.50 interested me. It is not a large sum, and one might be tempted to venture that much. The assistant editor might get more in toto than if he asked $10. L. K.

For the best 500-word letters on "What I Have Accomplished by Will Power" Everybody's (New York) offers prizes of $20, $10, and $5. The contest will close April 15.

The Boys' World (Elgin, Ill.) is in the market for live American boy stories, from 1,200 to 1,500 words in length, dealing with modern boys and teeming with adventure and heroism. The editors also want short articles and incidents dealing with facts, popular science, occupations, and sports and games suited to boys of from fourteen to eighteen years of age.

The Craftsman (New York) especially wants articles dealing with topics of education, civics, art, music, and architecture.

The Designer (New York) particularly needs short stories of from 3,000 to 3,600 words, dealing with love, adventure, and sentiment. Intense stories are especially desired.

The Black Cat (Salem, Mass.) wants stories of 2,500 words. Subjects may be de

tective, mystery, love, or anything unusual.

The Blue Book (Chicago) has no present especial manuscript needs.

The Bureau in charge of the "Clean-up and Paint-up Week" propaganda desires to get the addresses of two or three hundred special writers, in order to furnish them with material and information to enable them to supply the demands from newspapers, especially from Sunday editors, for articles relating to the movement. Addresses sent to the editor of THE WRITER will be duly forwarded.

Comfort (Augusta, Me.) wants stories that are clean, bright, and smart, with an uplifting tendency and human interest appeal ; also good love stories (no sex stories, or sickly sentimental stories that take a false view of life), and good detective stories.

Russell E. Smith is no longer connected with the Equitable Motion Pictures Corporation, so that the address of manuscripts intended for the Corporation should not include his name.

WRITERS OF THE DAY.

J. Walter Briggs, who wrote the poem, "It's Hard to Wait for Summer," in the March number of the Pictorial Review, was born in the little country town of Stanford- · ville, N. Y., where he still lives. A few years ago he wrote a number of humorous short stories, dealing with a quaint old countryman with an inventive turn of mind, which were published in a magazine printed at Portland, Maine, and he had one other story in an Augusta magazine. Since that time he has written very little prose. He has written verses since childhood, but it is only in recent years that he has submitted them to editors. Mr. Briggs says he tries to the best of his ability to portray in verse faithfully the feelings of the country people. "It's Hard tɔ Wait for Summer" was suggested to him a day when people were practically snowbound, and his mind wandered away from the